Maharashtra Announces Long-Pending Rural Local Body Elections After Four-Year Hiatus
Pune, 13th January 2026: Ending nearly four years of administrative rule in several rural local bodies, the Maharashtra State Election Commission on Tuesday announced the schedule for general elections to 12 Zilla Parishads and 125 Panchayat Samitis, including Pune district, marking a significant step towards restoring elected grassroots governance.
State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare, addressing a press conference, said polling will be held on February 5, with counting of votes and declaration of results scheduled for February 7. The announcement covers the Pune Zilla Parishad and all 13 Panchayat Samitis in the district, which have remained without elected representatives since March 2022.
With the declaration of the election programme, the Model Code of Conduct has come into force with immediate effect across the jurisdictions of the 12 Zilla Parishads going to polls, including Pune. The official election notification will be issued on January 16, following which the process of filing nominations will commence.
The tenure of the Pune Zilla Parishad ended on March 20, 2022, while the terms of the district’s Panchayat Samitis expired a week earlier on March 13. Since then, these institutions have been run by administrators, resulting in a prolonged absence of elected leadership. The upcoming elections will pave the way for the selection of Zilla Parishad presidents and Panchayat Samiti chairpersons, restoring democratic control at the district and block levels.
While Maharashtra has 32 Zilla Parishads and 336 Panchayat Samitis, elections have been announced for only a limited number. Polls for the remaining 20 Zilla Parishads and 211 Panchayat Samitis remain on hold due to ongoing legal disputes over reservations exceeding the 50 per cent cap, an issue that has stalled the broader election process across the state.
Election Schedule
Notification: January 16, 2026
Nomination Filing: January 16 to 21, 2026
Scrutiny of Nominations: January 22, 2026
Last Date for Withdrawal: January 27, 2026 (till 3 pm)
Final Candidate List & Symbol Allotment: January 27, 2026 (after 3.30 pm)
Polling: February 5, 2026 (7.30 am to 5.30 pm)
Counting & Results: February 7, 2026
Zilla Parishads Going to Polls
Pune, Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara, Solapur, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Parbhani, Dharashiv and Latur.
